I fell in love with you, not your opinions
by CrimsonPearlAlice
Summary: Franz/Antea What if Franz had a chance to contact his wife before he virtualized Aelita? What would their last conversation be like? Franz's POV. My version of what happened and some quotes from the TV show. One-Shot.


I Fell in Love with You, Not Your Opinion

They were coming, they were coming. I had to get out, no, I had to get Aelita out. They couldn't find out, they couldn't find out, they couldn't find out…

"Daddy, the men in black are here," my daughter's voice weaved through my ears as I opened the door to her room. I couldn't let them take Aelita. I had a feeling they were after her. First, in Colorado, they took Antea- a pang went through me and I felt a weight on my chest. All because of Carthage, because of X.A.N.A… because me and my stupid programs. My stupid programs that were spinning out of control…

"I know. Do you know where Mr. Puck is?" Aelita would need one thing to hold onto her mother with when the returned- if she returned…

I tried to force those thoughts out of my mind. I had finally created a body for her in Lyoko, but not for me, Aelita was more important than I was. Besides, the super computer would be shut down after I virtualized ourselves anyways. Her only hope would be that someone else turned on the computer, otherwise we would be trapped in there for forever. But I had faith, somebody would turn it on, I knew somebody would… I only wished that Antea could have been here, if they hadn't took her, then maybe she could have escaped with us. But I knew my wife would want our daughter to be safe. Aelita first, then Antea, I put myself last on the list. If X.A.N.A. my program, hadn't ran out of control and gotten a mind, then we wouldn't be on the run. I wouldn't have had to change our last name, I wouldn't have lost Antea, she wouldn't have been kidnapped…

"Yes..." the pink haired girl spoke. Aelita, so small, so innocent, she didn't deserve to be pulled into this, to be transported to a virtual world… she would forget everything… I didn't know how to get them back to her, but I would find a way. I just hopped whoever finds the computer would be able to figure out the code to get into the heart of Lyoko, SCIPIO. I hopped they would be able to work the virtualization and de-visualization processes. If we had any luck they would know their way around a computer, but I could only hope.

They were chasing us as we ran, I held onto Aelita's hand like a lifeline, because in many ways, that was exactly what she was. She was my daughter, she was my life. I only had half of it left, the other half was ripped away from me when Antea disappeared. But with Aelita, it was a little different. I had she held all the keys to Lyoko, which made her a threat, and a weakness to X.A.N.A For X.A.N.A to be destroyed, Aelita would have to die, she knew all of the information about Lyoko. But when the super computer gets turned back on, she would not remember any of it. She wouldn't remember me, her own father, or the fact that her mother was kidnapped, or how she was the target of one of the most dangerous programs in the world, the program I created.

Ushering Aelita into a scanner I gave her a small smile. "See you in a minute honey."

"See you in a minute daddy," I could tell by her voice that she wasn't scared. Whether that was because she didn't know what was going on, or she was extremely brave, I didn't know.

The scanner doors closed around my daughter, and I had a fear that that was the last time I would see her in her real body. I felt a rush of fear, I had a chance to say something, but I didn't take it. I had a chance to lock her face into my mind, so that I would never forget her, one last look, but I didn't think about it, now she was gone.

But there was one person I could still try to reach…

Jumping from the scanner I raced to the elevator. I wouldn't have much time, getting into the mainframe should be easy, but I didn't know if she was even still alive. The men in black would be here soon, I couldn't risk them messing up Aelita's virtualization.

After about ten minutes of frantically typing on the computer, I knew I was in. I had tried this many times before, and had the steps memorized. I hesitantly spoke into the microphone. My blood ran cold at the thought of not hearing her voice. My final chance to talk to her could slip through my fingers, just as fast as taking one last look at my beautiful daughter had…

"A-Antea?" My throat was dry, and my voice sounded a little foggy. I waited, and waited. I said her name again. "Antea?"

Five seconds passed, then seven, ten… I reached out my hand to flip the switch, when the sound of something shifting from the headphones made me freeze. It sounded as if somebody was standing up… "Antea? Hello? Can you hear me, Antea?" My voice was rising, panic seeping into my words. I tried to clear my thoughts. I didn't want to show her I was scared, not right before I virtualized Aelita.

The voice on the other end sounded frail, and oh so fragile. Even the small murmur that escaped her lips sent shivers down my spine. After all this time, she had been alive, but barely. She sounded so close to death it made my blood boil, and yet feel like ice at the same time. Furious that they hurt her, yet too shocked that she's almost gone to think.

"Franz? Is that you?"

I nodded, but then remembered that she couldn't see me. Oh, I didn't know whether it was a blessing or a curse that I couldn't see her with my own two eyes. "Y-yes, sweetheart it's me. Aelita and I are leaving, now." I didn't dare say more in case they were listening, they could easily overhear us, but I had the super computer protected by a series of complicated fire walls so that it couldn't be traced to any one location. I didn't care if they overheard us; Antea knew that we couldn't say anything specific. But simply being able to talk to her would be enough to keep me hanging on when locked inside Lyoko.

"Now?" She chocked. "Are they there?"

"We're going to be in trouble if we don't leave soon-"

"But Franz… is everything ready already?"

No, I thought bitterly, but it was enough. "I have Aelita ready, I'll be able to set everything up for myself once we get there-"

"But Franz, once you're there you can't do anything without risking… getting caught…"

"I know," I murmured. "I know." In fact, I wasn't even sure if I would be able to create a body for myself. But Aelita would be safe, and that would be what mattered. "We'll be safe, I'll keep Aelita safe. I love both of you, I can't let her get hurt like what happened to you- I- I'm so sorry, Antea-" My voice cut off and I could feel my throat closing up. The feeling as if I couldn't catch my breath overwhelmed me, our last conversation was so rushed…

"It wasn't your fault- don't argue. We never did have the same opinions… You need to watch after yourself too-"

"Aelita- more important-" I heard a beeping noise come from the monitor and my eyes scanned over it. There were monsters approaching the tower where Aelita was, they were surrounding it. I didn't know what X.A.N.A had planned, but Aelita had no way to defend herself. "A- Aelita," I moaned. Antea heard me, her fragile voice sounded panicked.

"Franz, go, she needs you!"

"Antea-"

"I love you! Watch over Aelita. I'll always be in love with you, even if I don't like your opinion on most things. Like now, you need to be with our daughter!"

My eyes widened, she was going to break the speaker, wherever she was, I could feel it. "I'm sorry for letting them take you, I'm so, so sorry-"

"Aelita!" My wife reminded me. "I'll be safe, I love you. You know what you're doing, I have faith in you." I heard another shuffling noise, like footsteps. My voice grew louder, more anxious. I didn't want to leave her yet, there were too many things left unsaid, too many things that relied on chance. I wanted her with me while I virtualized myself, I…

"Antea!" I yelled, and a smashing sound erupted in my ear, followed by static. "Antea-" There were the men coming into the factory. I could see them on the camera. I blinked away the tears that threatened to force their ways out of my eyes. Aelita needed a strong father, just like Antea needed a strong husband. Standing up from my chair, I headed for the scanners.


End file.
